Last year's London Classic at Olympia attracted large audiences, so its 2010 version on 8-15 December, with the reigning world champion Vishy Anand now in the field, will be of great interest. Its added spice is the rivalry at the top of the world rankings between Anand, Norway's 20-year-old Magnus Carlsen, and Russia's ex-champion and current world No4, Vlad Kramnik. Spectators (£10 daily, details online) can watch the play live, attend grandmaster commentaries, compete in side events, or relax with friendly games.

The global chess body, Fide, still hopes to persuade Carlsen to rescind his withdrawal from the May 2011 candidates matches and has announced a new date of 22 December for contract signing. How he performs in London, just a week before the contract deadline, may affect the talks and whether he can take the bold route of a direct title challenge to Anand.

It is odds on that one of the big three will win the eight-GM Classic but England's top quartet will be tough to defeat. The most likely to produce a surprise is Hikaru Nakamura. The US No1 used to be reckoned a lightweight at this level who played too much speed chess and risky openings. The 23-year-old has matured fast, now ranks in the world top 10, and rarely loses. He is ambitious and London will be his opportunity.

England's youngest GM David Howell, 20, is the lowest ranked entrant at the Classic and could also make a quantum jump. He won the British Rapidplay with 10.5/11 and impressed with a recent Bundesliga win. White's 17 dxc5! is not decisive but the error 19...Be6? (Bb7) enabled White to paralyse the Q-side and end the game with checkmate.